A solid fourteen carat yellow gold, automatic, Rolex Oyster Perpetual watch. This reference 1005 is a rare example of a watch that was given as a presentation piece from the Saltan of Oman. These watches, featuring the legendary Khanjar were ordered direct from either Asprey of London, who had a long an illustrious relationship with Rolex, or direct from Rolex themselves. The watch itself is a model that has become a mainstay in the Rolex collection today, and offers a clean aesthtic from its btoher, the Rolex Date, n the same case.
The Oyster Perpetual sits at the very foundation of Rolex. Before the Submariner, GMT-Master, Explorer or Daytona, there was the Oyster case and the Perpetual automatic movement, two developments that would establish the architecture upon which much of the modern Rolex wristwatch was built.
Rolex introduced the waterproof Oyster case in 1926. Five years later, in 1931, the company patented its Perpetual self-winding system, employing a centrally mounted rotor capable of rotating through 360 degrees to wind the mainspring through the natural movement of the wrist. The combination of these two ideas created the Oyster Perpetual and, in many respects, established the formula Rolex has continued to refine ever since: an accurate, automatic wristwatch protected within a robust waterproof case.
By the 1960s and early 1970s, that original concept had reached a particularly pure expression in the reference 1005. Measuring approximately 34mm, the watch combined the traditional Oyster case with a fluted bezel and a simple three-hand dial. There was no date window and no professional function to define its purpose. It was simply an exceptionally well-made automatic wristwatch intended to be worn every day.
This example, serial number 2,8XX,XXX and dating to circa 1971, is considerably more unusual.
Produced in 14-carat yellow gold, its champagne dial carries a small red emblem above six o’clock: the khanjar dagger laid over crossed swords, the national emblem of the Sultanate of Oman.
Khanjar-signed Rolex watches form one of the more fascinating chapters of vintage Rolex collecting and are closely associated with the reign of Sultan Qaboos bin Said Al Said, who became Sultan of Oman in July 1970. During his reign, watches bearing the Omani emblem were specially commissioned from Rolex and a number of other important Swiss manufacturers. Many were subsequently given as gifts to government officials, military personnel, foreign dignitaries and others recognized by the Sultanate.
The emblem appears on surviving watches in several colors, most notably red, green and black. Red has particular resonance within Oman, forming part of the national flag adopted following Sultan Qaboos’s accession and traditionally representing the battles fought by Oman throughout its history.
Some of the best documented red Khanjar Rolexes have remarkable provenance. A small group of Rolex Sea-Dwellers bearing the red emblem has been associated with British military personnel who served in Oman during the Dhofar conflict, while other Khanjar watches have appeared with documented provenance connecting them to officials, dignitaries and individuals associated with the Sultan.
It is important, however, not to extend the provenance of those watches to every Rolex carrying the emblem. No documentation currently survives identifying the original recipient of this reference 1005, nor is there evidence to establish that it was personally presented by Sultan Qaboos. It is therefore more accurately described as a period Rolex with a rare Omani red Khanjar dial rather than as a confirmed royal presentation watch.
The date of the watch nevertheless places it at an intriguing moment.
This serial number dates its production to approximately 1971, immediately following the accession of Sultan Qaboos and within the earliest period of the Omani Rolex commissions. Other documented Khanjar Rolexes survive with serial numbers from the same early-1970s period, including examples in the high two-million and low three-million serial ranges.
The reference itself also has a documented connection with Oman. Other reference 1005 Oyster Perpetuals bearing Khanjar dials are known, including a 14-carat yellow-gold example with a green Omani emblem documented and sold by Christie’s. The existence of this watch is particularly relevant to the present example, confirming that 14-carat reference 1005 cases were used for watches bearing the Omani insignia.
This is an important detail. Fourteen-carat gold Rolex watches of this period are frequently associated with the North American market, where the alloy was particularly popular. It would therefore be tempting to assume that the case of this watch was originally intended for the United States. Surviving 14-carat Khanjar reference 1005s demonstrate, however, that the same configuration was also used for Omani watches. The gold standard alone cannot be used to establish the original market.
The exterior case back of this watch is similarly understated and carries no Asprey, Khimji Ramdas or presentation engraving. Asprey in London is well documented as having handled important Omani Rolex commissions, while Khimji Ramdas in Oman was another known channel through which Khanjar watches were supplied. The absence of either retailer’s mark means that the original route through which this particular watch was commissioned cannot presently be established.
Its dial is consequently the most important feature of the watch.
Against the stunning champagne ground, the red Khanjar occupies the otherwise open lower half of the dial. The normal Rolex signature is unusually restrained, reading simply ROLEX and OYSTER PERPETUAL beneath the applied coronet at twelve. Applied gold baton indexes and matching hands complete a design that, without the small red emblem at six, would be among the simplest Rolex watches of the period. That restraint is precisely what makes the Khanjar so effective. Pair this with the selected text colour, producing what some like to describe as Ghost Dials, the overall look is stunning and quite unique.
Inside is Rolex’s calibre 1570, the 26-jewel automatic movement introduced during the 1960s and one of the most important movements produced by the company during the twentieth century. Running at 19,800 vibrations per hour, the 1570 belongs to Rolex’s celebrated 15xx family and represents the mature development of the automatic winding architecture the company had first introduced four decades earlier.
The significance of this particular watch extends beyond its unusual dial. In 2026, this exact reference 1005 was selected from our collection, along with other rare and important OP examples, and photographed for Hodinkee Magazine Volume 16 as part of Rich Fordon’s extensive Reference Points study of the Rolex Oyster Perpetual. Produced as the Oyster case approached its centenary, the article examines the Oyster Perpetual not simply as Rolex’s most basic model, but as the watch through which the fundamental development of the company can be understood.
Its inclusion is particularly appropriate. The reference 1005 has none of the additional identity later provided by diving, aviation, exploration or motor racing. Instead, it contains the fundamental ingredients upon which Rolex built its reputation: the Oyster case, automatic Perpetual winding and a restrained design intended for everyday use.
This 1971 example adds another layer to that history. Its 14-carat gold case and red Omani Khanjar place it within an intriguing group of watches associated with the early years of Sultan Qaboos’s reign, while its exact original recipient and commissioning route remain unknown.
More than fifty years later, its selection for Hodinkee’s study of the Oyster Perpetual gives this individual watch a further place within the documented history of the model.
At first glance it is an exceptionally simple Rolex. Look more closely, and it tells several stories at once: the development of the Oyster Perpetual, Rolex’s relationship with the Sultanate of Oman during the early 1970s, and the enduring importance of a design that sits at the very foundation of the company.
The dial is a gorgeous with the gold sunburst brushing with applied gold baton indicies. The printing on the dial is not the conventional black. This special watch features the light sand coloured printing that offers a ghostlike appearance to the dial backdrop. This is even included in the minute track around the dial’s outer edge. The dial is signed "T Swiss T" at the bottom and very appealing and flanked by the sigma symbol (more can be read about this addition on seperate posts we have written). There is the original tritium luminous material applied to the dial, and in the center of the original classic baton hands. All of which is present and has turned into a soft, handsome lattĂ© colour. The dial is all original, and in perfect condition throughout. It all responds evenly, and consistently under UV light.Â
The case is also presented in excellent condition. There appears to be no genuine indentation where the lug holes meet the case edge, suggesting the case is perhaps unpolished. Moving to the case back, the original 14k and "585" stamps on the case lugs are still sharp and show no signs of being polished. There is, of course some wear, as to be expected from a watch now 55 years old. However, overall it is in excellent condition. The case interior is fully marked, and interestingly the full case serial number is present on the case back. A rarely seen detail.
This watch represents an interesting part of the Rolex and Middle Eastern history. Also, these "OP" thirty four millimeter cases in solid gold are quite rare. This watch also comes on presumably a later addition but nonetheles original Rolex alligator band with coronet buckle. This is an exceptionally rare opportunity to own a piece of Rolex history documented by one of the leading research of Hodinkee's Refernce Points articles.
